The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-10-19
SOMETHING ABoUrzrnE OUTLAWS.

ooN'A1 AA-NN <>poO LII w LA WSs
Ex.Mnrslial lAtkinson Talss About Rev.
ls,nn and Ills aIurdorers.
I In speaking OF the Roana county trou.
bles to IN INrSLLlaEScEn representative
yesterday, s1-Marshsl e. W. Atkinson, Of
this city, said: II knew Rev. Thomes P.
Ryan, whose brutal murder wan The straw
that broke the back of the ps.iencs OF tho
good citizsns Of Roane. Ho was respect.
ed minister Of the ,Motholss Episcopal
Church, and IN older brother OF Rev, e,
W. Ryan who formerly preached in this
city aud was ct one time Preaidipg Elder oi
the Wheeling DISTRICT. Mr.. Ryan was
well-to.do farmer, and he'd gaved nomu
hundreds Of .dollErs which + ho kent
in his house. He wes also fairly good
preacher aud stood very high in the Com
ference, where ! met him quito recently.
I cannot, ior tho life OF me, sec why the
desperadces eaW lit 10 Kill bin in that
cold.blooded manner, M he Nas sn eyed
man and the robbers could easily have
taken his money from him without re.
sorting to such desperate STRATA. ,-.5.T
"Yes, also know soms Of the parties
concerned in the Roane county depreda.
tions. They seem to have bsen q regu.
lsrly organized band, whose purpoae was
to gein living by unlawful means. The
Duds know to be pretty tough citizeng,
and am not surprised to learn OF their con.
noction with these crimes, and Of their.
coming to snch an untimely but deceryed
end. Coon did not know, but under.
stand that he hiss latcly moved into tho
State, having, previous to his advent
been member OF tho famous Jesse Janlea
gang OF outlaws in Missouri" 7
4. DAN cpNNINcnAM.
"What about Dan Cunningham, tho de-
tcctive, who 10 alleged to hsve been tho
instigator Of tho Ryan sGair2" 4
S"I cannot bring myself to believe the
story. Cunningham, as you know was a
deputy OF mine during my term SIS United
States Marshal, and repoaed the almost
contide.ce IN him. | believed him to be
an honeat man, and until see moro au-
thent!c accounts OF this occurrence. T will
continue to have faith III him. He was
one OF my most trusted subordinatcs, was
q good detective, and one OF the pluckieu.
men ever cav. Owing to tho state OF The
feeling against him among thu citizsnu of
Roane county, who nre aroused by the do.
velopmsnts made by tho outlaw Coon,
they are liable to net 5rsshly, and, unlogs
he takes immediate steps to establish his
innocence, is liable TO be lynched with the
balance Of the fugitives when captured.
In their passion they may not stop to con.
slider that he is only implicated by the
confession OF a man whose word ought
reasonably 10 BIZ taken with ID grain Of
salt. Still, I DO not nrofess to know my
more than I hayo road in the psperu. Dan
may bo guilty, but Ihsve mover had carice
to doubt him, and cannot believe that he
was a party, to ono OF tho most brutal muir
ders ever committed In this state."'
5a "Do you know anything about the state
Of affairs further than you have stated ~
Very little. However, from what LIDO
known Of the county I bolisvo the press
reports arc greatly exaggerated. For in.
stance, 1t Is stated that the band OF outlaws
consists Of from fifteen to twonty.ilye
members. Itismore than likely when more
reliable accounts arc received 1t will be
found that the murder will not exceed